Wet Seat Belt

[MayorBloom]

I normally in the garage but last night left the runner outside in the cold, which turned out to be cold and very wet. We had a rain storm that lasted almost all night.

The Drivers side seat belt was soaked when I went to put it on. Passengers side was fine, Carpet dry, etc. etc. Checked some threads and first thing that came to mind was my Prinsu Rack and that all the bolts are in place...They are and seemed to be tight.

Is there anything else that I could have done, before I have Toyota look at it and them tell me it's my fault? I just don't want to be that guy that shows up claiming something is wrong with the sunroof, windshield or something else when it was me that caused the issue.

Anyone else have something like this??

Mike

 

[Auntie Soshul]

Is there any chance the seat belt was hanging outside the door when you got out?

 

[jayhat]

Was the headliner wet at all?

 

[MayorBloom]

he3adliner was dry and the seat belt was in the car. I pulled it out all the way and the more extended, the wetter it was...

I know...That's what she said.

 

[jwfowler]

I have the same issue but on the passenger side. Come to the conclusion its from my K9 rack and been too lazy to take it all apart to put on globs of sealant.

 

[Irishcav17]

I have the same issue but on the passenger side. Come to the conclusion its from my K9 rack and been too lazy to take it all apart to put on globs of sealant.

So I just had this exact problem happen to me. Did you just remove the bolts and put sealant around them and reinstall them?


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[jrandom]

I suspect it is the rack mount not having enough sealant or improperly done, the driver/pass belts are directly below, AFAIK the factory rack is a port installed item, done by a human, that may hate their job or first day... enough of me speculating

 

[darenwelsh]

I think I have joined the club, unfortunately. After having the k9 roof rack for about a year, I'm seeing the first signs of a leak. Water is leaking out of the passenger seat belt reel. When I installed the rack, I put a bunch of silicone with the spacers. The vehicle has been through some serious rain storms, so it's strange that it's just now showing the leak. I find it hard to believe I missed it for a year. Maybe our recent trip with all the washboard trails rattled something loose up there ... It's also frustrating that installing a rack that requires no drilling could still lead to leaks. That was one of the reasons I swayed from other brands.

My question is whether I need to completely remove the rack to re-seal those bolts or if I can just apply a bunch of silicone once the rain stops and it dries out. Any thoughts?

 

[Friggin Idiot]

My question is whether I need to completely remove the rack to re-seal those bolts or if I can just apply a bunch of silicone once the rain stops and it dries out. Any thoughts?

I've got to wonder if the best way to fix this properly is to drop the headliner and liberally apply silicone from beneath. That way you ensure it gets everywhere around the anchor instead of just trying to get it best you can from the top.

 

[txvstrom]

I'd take it off completely and reseal. Saves the bother of you missing the leak and having to do it all over again. Plus sealant doesn't last forever. Almost all brands shrink, dry out and crack.

 

[STX4Runner]

I've got to wonder if the best way to fix this properly is to drop the headliner and liberally apply silicone from beneath. That way you ensure it gets everywhere around the anchor instead of just trying to get it best you can from the top.

Dropping the headliner involves basically striping the interior. It’s pretty much the first thing installed and everything else overlaps as you go down. I think everyone else has been able to seal under the racks without doing this.


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[jrandom]

Well to add to the dismay, since my last post I have heard of a couple instances (ie two people) having the sunroof drain lines leak, one was detached, not sure about the other.

Pulling the trim is involved but it isn't terrible with a set of decent trim tools, an e-driver and yeah time. (you shouldn't have to pull the seats) Just plan it. If you have any wiring you want to run, radio antenna, lights, just a hot lead, two birds one stone.

 

[ic0517]

Took the stock roof rack off, 4Runner out in the rain, driver's side seat belt wet. The hole goes directly thru the roof and apparently right over the seat belt roll. Also the height of the lip around the whole is less than the 'top of the canyon' so if water gets in there its going to find a way thru if it can.

I fixed it with MIL-SPEC RTV from work that was going to be thrown out because of expiration date. Put it on the threads instead of Loctite. You also have to scrape some factory stuff off. Somebody made an article with a title of something like Roof Rack Delete.

Then my son said it was a lot easier finding the 4Runner when he comes out of school with the rack on it, so I put it back on. When I went to put the original bolts back in, whatever they used for thread sealant was NOT like Loctite, kinda shit to be honest. I assumed I had to clean that crap off, I used a set of wire strippers on the 10 gauge slot and gently went around.

 

[bettywhiteT4R_2015]

Anyone here not remove the aftermarket roof rack to apply a sealant? I have a Prinsu full length rack on my 5th Gen, put it on about two months ago, and I’ve been noticing after any heavy rain my front seat belts are cold/wet. They we soaked after the rain we got this past week. My last resort is to put the whole rack off. I’m hoping to at most maybe loosen all the bolts and add some sort of seal to it.

Was there any sealant that really worked for anyone?

Also, anyone find any issues with the back leaking? I haven’t noticed any, YET. I just don’t know exactly where to look at if the back holes were getting water in them, whereas the front obviously has the drain in the seat belt area.

 

[El Dusty]

Was there any sealant that really worked for anyone?

See thread below for sealant recommendations;
Sealant for Aftermarket Roof Rack?

Sorry to hear people are having leak issues with their racks. But appreciate knowing to check the front seat belts after a heavy rain to ensure the sealant is working or not.

 

[keph13]

It's worth checking the sunroof drains before getting too crazy - they're easy to access behind kick panels, and my passenger side was completely clogged with mud and blocked up after I noticed mold on the seatbelt. Also easy to check - pour water in each corner of the sunroof and see if it drains out under the matching corner of the truck

 

[kyounpark]

:doh:

 

[DEF4Runner]

Just one more 'yea' given to the seal around the roof rack bolts.

My dealer replaced the original TRD O/R rack with a Pro rack at some point before I bought it. I jumped in one morning after a rain storm and...like the OP...had a wet driver's belt.

Ultimately, I removed all the bolts, wrapped them in teflon tape, retorqued and have yet to have any other issues.